LEGO Universe: an MMOG for the whole family

Online safety for kids

Of course, if your child is playing a game where they interact with strangers, even virtually, a parent will have concerns. I spoke with the game developers about the safety measures they have put in place to ensure our children are safe from virtual harm. If players want to “chat” they can only use approved words and word combinations. Inappropriate language simply is not allowed to be typed into the conversation and is monitored immediately in a pop-up chat window.

Dialogue is also analyzed based on the player’s registered age in the game. If a player is logged into the game as a nine year old, but the dialogue seems inappropriate for that age, the user is flagged and monitored closely for further interaction. This helps ensure an adult isn’t posing as a child while playing the game.

Building your own LEGO creations

One feature of LEGO Universe, unlike any other MMOG game, is the ability to build Lego creations for other players to see and use. Any creation for general population use must be approved by the moderators of the game. Depending on the number of creations and players, acceptance from these moderators can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The lag time is undetermined, but not when “best friends” play together.

For players who want to share their creations immediately, the game developers have included the ability for you to designate other players as “best friends.” This allows the sharing of creations to be unmoderated, as if the players were hanging out building LEGOs in their own playroom. Since their relationship is mutual and agreed upon, just like a friend coming over to your house, the building is unmoderated and private.

How much does LEGO Universe cost?

The game is playable on PC and Mac and has an initial cost of $39.99. It also requires a paid subscription to continue playing from month to month and year to year. One, six, and 12 month subscriptions are available. If your subscription lapses due to non-payment, your creations still exist and are not destroyed. Once you pay your subscription fee, your access is opened once again and game resumes from where you left it. Your first month of play is included in your initial price.

Exclusive access is available October 12, 2010 to customers who pre-order the game, and officially launches October 26, 2010 for everyone. To learn about minimum/recommended system requirements and more information about LEGO Universe, got to shop.LEGO.com/LEGOuniverse.

The game is rated E10 and is designed to peak the interests of 8-12 year olds. Personally, I let my five year old play, but he needs a little help, and my seven and 11 year-old boys can’t get enough of the game. My husband (who is far from age 8-12!) also gets hooked into playing with the boys and has a hard time pulling himself away.

You don’t need to imagine a fabulous, safe, innovative computer game that is fun for the whole family; it already exists and it’s name is LEGO Universe. The lead developer of the game, Ryan Seabury, feels, first and foremost, this game should always be fun. This goal has been achieved in every facet of the game. I can’t wait to see what else develops in this virtual, LEGO mini-figure-centered world.

Eileen Calandro is the Chief Mom Connector of Mom Central. When she isn’t prying her three sons and her husband away from playing LEGO Universe, she is writing about her family’s antics on her own blog at calandroclan.com. You can connect with her on twitter as @MomCentralChat and @calandro5.

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Disclosure: Eileen and her family were flown out to Colorado by LEGO to meet with the NetDevil developers and to learn more about LEGO Universe.

Eileen Calandro